Chakotay Turns Fifty
by Anne T.M
Summary: This is part three in the series that began with "A Very Happy Birthday." The day of Chakotay's birthday finally arrives but the command team find themselves stuck in an unusual circumstance.


Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no money on it.

Synopsis: This story is the third story in a small trilogy. The first was called, "A Very Happy Birthday" and the second was call "Hair Today, Different Tomorrow." The three part series has one goal and that is to get our favorite command couple together. In this story Chakotay's birthday is fast approaching. Once it arrives Kathryn will have to make good on the promise she made to take their relationship to a new level.

The One I've Waited For

Pg-13

By: Anne T.M.

"The next time we encounter a friendly situation that seems to be too good to be true, remind me of today!" Captain Janeway whispered this to her First Officer as they ducked behind a tree to avoid weapon's fire.

"Why? You won't listen to me anyway!" Chakotay fired his phaser through the thickest trees. "We need to keep moving."

~~~~~

Both the Captain and First Officer of Voyager ran through the dense bush of the Valalan forest. They had arrived thirty minutes earlier to meet with the head of state. They had been in communication with the leaders of the Valalan people since they came into communications range. The planet and the friendliness of the government were a godsend to Voyager. The ship was low on supplies and the planet was rich in everything they needed. Chairman Malora invited the two officers to come to his beautiful homeworld to share a meal and to finalize their trade agreement. When Tuvok objected to both of them leaving the ship, Kathryn knew she should have agreed but she didn't. She wasn't sure whether it was the fact that she had not left the ship in nearly three months or that she was just so thankful for a hospitable race of people that she decided to go against her friend's advice. The real truth probably was that tomorrow was Chakotay's long awaited birthday and she was nervous and needed to concentrate on something other than that. Despite her ulterior motives it all seemed innocent enough until they were met at the landing sight by two armed men. The command team immediately found themselves with phasers pointed at their heads. The two men shoved them away from the city toward the lush green wooded area. They traveled deeper into the forest at a brisk pace. Both the captives spend their time looking for a means of escape. When neither could come up with a viable plan, fate stepped in and provided their opportunity. One of the kidnappers tripped on the thick tree roots that covered the ground. Before he righted himself, Chakotay elbowed the other in the stomach and spun around and kicked him in the face. He grabbed Kathryn's hand and started running.

~~~~~

"I just wish I knew where we were running to! Once we lose them we need to double back and head toward the city. Our best bet lies with Chairman Malora."

"Kathryn, it is very possible that these men work for the chairman."

Kathryn shook her head as she continued running. "No. When we stopped by the stream I heard one of them curse Malora and his government. I couldn't hear exactly what their complaints were but it was pretty clear that they were enemies of the official Valalan government."

Chakotay signaled for her to stop. He tried to calm his breathing so he could listen for their pursuers. Kathryn bent over and placed her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. She leaned her back against the large tree behind her. Suddenly the ground opened up and swallowed both of them. They both screamed out in surprise. To Chakotay, it felt like they were falling forever. He managed to twist his body so that he fell feet and hands first. If someone were watching him they might have said he looked like a panther who had just leapt a long distance and gracefully landed. Kathryn had not been so lucky. Chakotay watched in horror as her prone body hit the ground face down. Neither moved at first. Kathryn was stunned and Chakotay was frozen. Finally, he willed himself to go to her side. "Kathryn, are you okay?"

She turned her head to the side. "Yes." She used her hands to push herself up and began to roll over when her face contorted with pain. "Oh." She slumped back down. "I think I broke some ribs."

"Here, let me help you." Chakotay stood behind her and slid one arm under her pelvis and one under her shoulders. "On the count of three I am going to turn you over. One, two, three…" As quickly as he could he had her laying on her back. 

Kathryn's head slumped back and she closed her eyes and willed the tears away.

"I'm going to check your ribs. Let me know where it hurts." He tenderly ran his hands down the right side of her chest. Despite his best effort his fingers brushed the side of her breast. He heard her intake of air so he paused. "Did that hurt?"

"No."

Chakotay blushed. "Oh, sorry." He moved to her left side and when he touched the two ribs in the middle she nearly screamed. "I think they are broken. I need to check your lungs. I wish I had a medical tricorder. I am going to put my ear by your mouth while you breathe deeply. It may hurt to breathe that way but I need to hear if your lungs are clear." He knelt next to her head and positioned his left ear just above her mouth. "Go ahead." Kathryn took three agonizing breaths before he pulled away. She looked at him expectantly knowing already that the news would not be good. "Something is not right. It doesn't sound terrible but your breathing is labored and there is a faint gurgle in your chest. One of your ribs may have pierced your lung. Does it hurt when you breathe?"

"A little."

"I am going to have to move you. We need to be able to defend ourselves if our attackers come after us." As gently as he possibly could Chakotay lifted Kathryn to her feet. He led her toward a rock formation on the side of the underground encampment. He settled her against the far wall behind some large boulders. The rocks in front of her would provide some protection should they be attacked. Suddenly they heard muffled voices.

"I heard them scream a few minutes ago. They have to be here somewhere!"

"We have to find them or we might as well not return to camp."

At the first sound Chakotay moved towards the opposite side of the cave and assumed an attack position. Both members of Voyager had their phasers pointed directly at what was once their own landing point on the ground. They waited tensely, listening for sounds of their kidnappers. Once he was sure that the men had moved on Chakotay returned to his Captain. "I think we are safe for now. It seems that this place, whatever it is, is a well kept secret. I am going to take a look around and see what I can find. You stay here and rest."

Her chest was heavy and her left leg ached. She was almost positive that it was broken. Beside that she was thirsty and cold. This was nowhere near how she had expected the day to go. She envisioned a quick dinner and a completion of their agreement. Then she would have returned to Voyager and have Chakotay assign crew members to gather their supplies. Once her shift ended she had planned on a long bath and some careful preparation for the evening ahead. Neelix had organized a surprise party for Chakotay's fiftieth birthday. The Captain was supposed to get him to the mess hall at exactly midnight. Neelix explained to the Captain that if they had the party then it would seem like it was the day before his birthday and hopefully he would be very surprised. Everyone was looking forward to the event. She heard more than one person say that they wanted to take the opportunity to let him know how important he was to the crew. Kathryn had also hoped to show him how special he was, only not at the party but later in her quarters. She heard Chakotay returning so she tried to focus her mind on the problem at hand.

"You won't believe what I found. There is a hot underground pool about 15 meters away. Kathryn, what's the matter?"

"Nothing."

He knelt beside her. "You're not a very good liar." His face softened when he saw that she was trying to glare at him. "At least not to me anyway." He wiped some of the dirt off her face. "You're cold aren't you?"

"Yes." She involuntarily wrapped her arms around herself.

"Come on. Let's head back toward the pool. It is very warm back there." Chakotay helped her up. With his arm wrapped around her waist for support he started to walk them toward the warm air. Kathryn stumbled and Chakotay tightened his grip.

Once they reached the edge of the water Chakotay lowered her to the ground. He set their beacons on the edge of some rocks and used his phaser on a few of the perimeter stones. The soft light radiating off the rocks along with the beacons provided them with enough light. Then Chakotay crossed over to where Kathryn was laying and took off his jacket and folded it into a pillow for her. "Better?"

"Yes, thank you." She closed her eyes and let the warm air soothe her. A strange noise made her look up. She found Chakotay standing next to the water and his chest was bare. She could not take her eyes off of him. His skin seemed to glow in the faint light. He looked magnificent. He knelt down and plunged his arms into the water. Once his hands were clean he leaned his head over and splashed water on his face and hair. Dirt was pouring off of his body. Once he seemed satisfied, he stood up and shook the excess water from his hair. The muscles in his chest tightened as he swung his head from side to side. Kathryn had a hard time breathing and it had nothing to do with her injury. She watched as he put his tank top back on and began to rip his shirt into strips. He dipped the strips into the warm water and walked over to where she was.

"Your turn," he whispered. Using the warm pieces of his shirt he gently wiped the dirt from her face. He took special care to clean her eyes and mouth. He picked up another piece and squeezed it so that the water cascaded over her hair. He was able to clean some of the dirt from her hairline. "That is the best I can do unless you want to get into the water."

"I don't think that is a good idea considering my condition." She smiled up at him. "Just my luck to find an underground bathtub and I cannot use it." 

He sat down with his back against the wall and settled in for what he thought might be a long wait. His instincts had taken over from the minute they began to run through the forest. Now, the reality of the situation crept into his mind. He closed his eyes to center himself. He had been in worse situation many times before. Hell, he even watched her die. Unfortunately, that was the one thought he was desperately trying to avoid because he feared he may see it happen again. He knew that this time there would be nothing that he could do. His eyes shot open when he heard a scraping noise.

Using her good leg Kathryn pushed herself across the ground. Although it was less than a meter it took all of her strength to position herself closer to where Chakotay sat. She lifted her head and laid it in his lap. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she snuggled close and shut her eyes.

He had watched her struggle to reach him but he knew better than to coddle her. Although she tried to hide it, he recognized that she was in pain by the tension in her face. Despite the situation, he couldn't help but think that there was something so right about her resting with her head in his lap. Tentatively, he reached out his hand and brushed the hair from her face. She seemed a little more peaceful when he touched her so he continued stroking her hair. Neither one spoke as they settled in for what each thought would be a long amount of time. Somehow, amidst his fear and her pain they each fell asleep. 

~~~

Chakotay woke with a start when he felt something pushing on his leg. The disorientation lifted and he remembered that it was Kathryn's head. She was still sleeping. He lifted the tricorder out of his belt and flipped it open. He repeated the scan of the cavern which he had done upon their arrival. By comparing the two he estimated that they had been there about seven hours. Chakotay wiped the sweat from Kathryn's brow. She was no longer cold, in fact, she was very warm. He tried to unzip her jacket without waking her but it proved impossible.

"Commander, I am in no condition to make good on our birthday agreement." Her eyes twinkled as she flirted with him despite her pain.

"Kathryn, you have a fever. We need to try to cool you off." 

She sat up slowly and he helped her remove her jacket. With her guidance Chakotay helped her slip her arm out of her turtleneck. Then he lifted it over her head and carefully slid it down the arm on her injured side. Next, he moved to the front of her and removed her boots and socks so the heat could escape her body. Once she was clad in only her pants and tank top she felt much better. She took a deep breath. It hurt but not as badly as when she was lying down. "I think I would like to sit up for awhile." He spread his legs wide and pulled her back between them. His chest became a cushion for her back. Her bad leg was throbbing. She moved back and forth until she was able to get it in a comfortable position. As she did she thought she heard him groan. "Chakotay?"

"It's nothing."

She didn't believe him but she decided to let it go. She settled herself against his body and instantly knew what was wrong.

Chakotay felt her spine stiffen and she leaned forward. He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back against him. "Kathryn, right now my body has a mind of it's own but you need to be comfortable and I think my chest is better than the hard wall. So if it is okay with you I would rather you stayed right where you are."

"It's okay with me. In fact, I think it is kind of sweet."

"Sweet?"

"Yes!"

Kathryn reached out and took both of his hands in hers. She lifted his right one and wrapped it securely around her stomach while their left hands remained on his powerful thigh. "Chakotay, not many women can say that they can attract a man in my condition. My uniform is torn, my hair is filthy and I am sure my perfume gave out hours ago."

He leaned down so that his mouth was next to her ear. "That's because there are not many women like you."

Kathryn turned her head to look at him. "That is the nicest thing that anyone has ever said to me."

Their lips were inches apart. It was only because of years of practice that Chakotay was able to stop himself from kissing her but Kathryn gave up any semblance of control the minute she felt his thick member pressing into her back. She stretched herself up just a little higher and gently touched her lips to his. His lips were warm and soft. She desperately wanted to deepen the kiss but knew that her body would not allow it so she slowly drew back. Before they parted completely, though, she allowed the tip of her tongue to run across his bottom lip. She heard his reaction in the depth of his throat and felt his reaction jutting against her. It suddenly crossed her mind that she wanted him more than anything else in her life, more than Justin, more than Mark, and even more than she wanted to be a starship captain. It was at that moment that she realized that once they returned to earth she would never captain another ship. Her place would be with him. Before she could tell him she felt the familiar tingle of the transporter engulf her body.

~~~ 

Chakotay materialized on the pad in transporter room two. His first thought was that he was alone. "The Captain?"

"The Captain was beamed directly to sickbay, sir."

He stood up and walked off the pad and headed for the door. "Thank you, ensign."

~~~

The minute Chakotay appeared on the bridge Tuvok vacated the Captain's chair. Chakotay motioned for him to remain where he was while he sat in his own command seat. "It is good to have you back, Commander."

"Thank you. Now what can you tell me about our little adventure?"

"It seems that you were taken prisoner by a few members of a small zealot group of dissidents. They are xenophobes. They oppose their government's openness toward other races and vehemently oppose their propensity to trade with them. Thus, they kidnapped you and the Captain to stop the trade negotiations, as well as to make a point."

"Were they captured?"

"Once you did not rendezvous with Chairman Malora he contacted us at once. We began a search using the sensors. Unfortunately, it was more difficult than we had anticipated due to the density of the area and the atmosphere surrounding the planet."

"How did you find us?"

"When we could not distinguish your life signs Mr. Kim suggested that we scan for Starfleet technological equipment. As you know, although the Valanas are an advanced race, some of our instruments, such as the tricorders on your belts, have their own unique signatures. Once we found the signatures we were able to beam you to safety as well as capture your kidnappers."

"What do you mean?"

"I believe that the Captain lost her instrument while you were being pursued. One of the men picked it up and kept it. Once we located the power signature we immediately beamed up any life signs in the vicinity of it. We, of course, expected it to be you and the Captain. Instead, we transported five members of the zealot organization. Security immediately took them to the brig. Once we had you safely aboard we returned the prisoners to Chairman Malora. He was so grateful for our help in, as he said, flushing out the traitors, that he provided us with all the supplies we had previously requested as a thank you. May I inquire as to the health of the Captain?"

"I have not been to sickbay but I don't think her injuries were too severe."

"Commander Chakotay, please report to sickbay."

Chakotay smiled. He leaned over and whispered to Tuvok, "Speak of the devil."

In his usual deadpan Vulcan fashion Tuvok asked Chakotay, "The Doctor or the Captain."

"I'm on my way Doctor." Chakotay stood and headed for the turbo lift. "Right now Tuvok, I'd say probably both!"

~~~

"How is she Doctor?" Chakotay asked.

"Don't talk about me as if I am not here! I am fine! And I am ready to leave!" The Captain stood up and glared at the Doctor.

"She is okay, but not fine. Her left lung had a minute puncture and her right leg was broken." Chakotay sent Kathryn a scathing look at the mention of the broken leg. "I have repaired both. I will release the Captain to your care after I examine you **but** she is off duty for the next twenty four hours and she should go to bed and rest."

Once the Doctor cleared Chakotay, the command team left sickbay. "Why didn't you tell me about your leg?"

"It was not that bad. Now, did Tuvok give you a report?" As they headed toward their destination, Chakotay filled Kathryn in on everything that happened. "I guess Shakespeare was right. All's well that ends well."

"Maybe, but next time I'd like to skip right to the ends well part." 

She reached over and ran her hand across the lowest part of his back. "You can't tell me you didn't enjoy it just a little bit."

"There were parts that were very enjoyable but the price was almost too high." At that moment they reached the turbo lift and entered . "Deck three."

"Belay that order, mess hall. I have something I want to show you."

When the doors opened Kathryn allowed him to enter first. What he saw was a room ready for a party. There were balloons and streamers. An area had been cleared for dancing and an old fashioned jukebox was set up in the corner. In the center of the room on the far wall was a banner that read "Happy Fiftieth, Chakotay." He turned and looked at his Captain, his friend. "It's all for you. The crew wanted to do something special for you." 

Once the surprise wore off Chakotay took her hand and walked around the room. "When? How?"

"I was supposed to lure you here at exactly midnight. The crew was going to be waiting here to surprise you."

"They sure would have!"

"Unfortunately, I am about three hours late." They reached the area of the room where the big banner hung. "Chakotay, look." Kathryn pointed to the white areas surrounding the printed felicitation. What they found were hand written messages from different members of the crew. 

"Look, this one is from B'Elanna-I can't believe you're fifty, old man. Wasn't it yesterday that we were young and crazy. Well I guess time changes everything and in most cases for the better. I hope your birthday brings you only joy and happiness." 

"Well, it's a little too late for that!" 

She pointed to another. "This one is from Tom- who would have ever believed that we would both live to see your 50th! Happy birthday big guy and may your birthday wish finally come true."

"I can read the rest later. Right now there is something else I would rather do." He led her to the jukebox and chose a song. "Kathryn Janeway, may I have this dance?" 

She took his hand and together they went to the makeshift dance floor. The slow music began and he held her in his arms. Without speaking they swayed to the music. Suddenly Kathryn looked up at him. "I almost forgot."

He pushed her head back toward his chest so his could rub his cheek in her hair. "What?"

"Your present, it's in my quarters."

He pulled her just a little closer. "We can get it later."

"Do you want to know what it is?"

The feel of her body against his was all the present he needed. "I can wait."

"At least let me tell you how it is wrapped."

He couldn't care less. Right now he was too enraptured with the fact that he was holding the woman of his dreams in his arms and he did not want to let her go. "Fine."

"Well, it will be covered in long deep maroon wrapping. There will not be as much material covering the top of the present as the bottom. To open it, all you will have to do is untie one bow that will be found at the back of the gift."

It began to dawn on him what she was talking about. "What is the wrapping made of?"

"Silk."

"Just silk?"

"No. There is some lace near the top."

"Is it wrapped completely?"

"Almost from bottom to top. But there are a few places that are bare."

The music ended. "Maybe I should open it tomorrow after you have rested."

She took his hand and pulled him toward the door. "Don't worry. Once you open your present I promise to not leave my bed for the next twenty-four hours."

Before they reached the door Chakotay spun her around and gave her a searing kiss. "I believe Mr. Paris was correct. My birthday wish is about to come true."

They continued toward the door as she spoke. "You'll have all you ever wanted…", Kathryn turned and winked at him, "…and more!"

The saucy tone in her voice made his body twitch and he knew that he was in for the birthday of his life.

The end


End file.
